Boeing plans to eliminate around 300 supply chain roles in its defence division, notifying affected employees this week, as the aerospace group continues to recalibrate its workforce, Bloomberg reported.
The job cuts will be spread across several sites in the United States, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to Bloomberg on condition of anonymity because the plans are confidential. The move comes as large employers across sectors tighten headcount and scrutinise costs.
In a statement responding to questions on the defence layoffs, Boeing said it “regularly evaluates and adjusts its workforce to stay aligned to our commitments to our customers and communities.”
The defence reductions sit alongside workforce changes in Boeing’s commercial aircraft business. Union officials said Seattle-area engineers were informed in late January that all remaining work on the 787 Dreamliner programme would be transferred to South Carolina, where Boeing has already consolidated widebody jet manufacturing. About 250 to 300 roles are expected to be affected.
Despite the cuts, Boeing continues to hire. The company currently has more than 1,300 open positions and is seeking to redeploy some affected defence employees into other roles, Bloomberg reported.
Boeing’s global headcount stood at 182,000 employees at the end of 2025, up roughly 10,000 from a year earlier, according to federal filings cited by Bloomberg. The increase reflects hiring tied to the integration of Spirit AeroSystems, a ramp-up in commercial jet production, and early work on the F-47 fighter aircraft for the Pentagon.
The latest adjustments have unsettled parts of the workforce and drawn criticism from unions at a sensitive moment. Boeing is preparing for contract talks with the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, which represents about 16,000 engineers and technical staff, with negotiations due later this year.
Union leaders said the 787 decision came as a surprise. Ray Goforth, the union’s executive director, told Bloomberg that officials had been assured shortly beforehand that no near-term decisions were expected to affect employment levels. The episode, he said, has cast a shadow over upcoming labour negotiations.
Boeing’s defence job cuts had been reported earlier by a Seattle television affiliate, though without details on the scale. As the company balances hiring in growth areas with targeted reductions elsewhere, its ability to rebuild trust with employees and unions will be closely watched as it works to stabilise operations and finances.